If there is one holiday that businesses shouldn't overlook, it's Christmas! The end-of-year festivities are the perfect time for plenty of shopping and a little indulgence.

How many promotional emails do consumers receive every day? A ton! And during this time of year, it’s not uncommon for inboxes to be overflowing.

How many do they actually read? Very few… because they barely have the time! In a landscape saturated with advertising, how do you stand out from the competition? How do you ensure your message is heard, appreciated, and leads to a sale?

In the digital age, the channel of immediacy—SMS marketing—allows you to capture and hold your target audience's attention with a short, punchy text that is sure to pique their curiosity.

Here are a few tips to boost your sales this seasonthrough effective, targeted communication.

Why use SMS marketing for Christmas?

We don't need to remind you of the incredibly high open rate of SMS, which allows businesses to be certain they are reaching their target audience, and doing so very quickly.

Christmas inevitably means sales and exclusive promotions to drive purchases.

If you want to promote a time-sensitive offer, you need to be sure that your audience reads the message the moment you send it, not two days later when it’s no longer valid… Obviously!

With email marketing, even if you’re promoting great, limited-time offers, you can no longer be certain that your announcement will reach its destination and be read by your customers and prospects. As a result, you miss out on a lot of sales…

Only SMS can create that sense of urgency, because it is the channel of immediacy. To do this, simply send a message like "Offer valid until midnight!"

Now, imagine you are offering exclusive discounts in-store, rather than online. With SMS, you can reach your target audience on the go. If they are near your store, they will be much more inclined to come and visit you.

It is truly an essential tool to reach your target audience at any time, no matter where they are!

SMS campaign ideas to boost product sales

Here are a few ideas and tips to encourage purchases and increase your average basket size.

Exclusive offers

For a successful marketing campaign, offering exclusive discounts works very well. In fact, it is the type of message your prospects and customers receive the most.

In principle, they might read this on their mobile phone:

"Enjoy 20% off the entire store until December 24th. Treat yourself right here: [link]".

To encourage clicks, we recommend playing the card of originality and surprise. You could even write: "Surpriiise! We're granting all your wishes with 20% off your favorite products until December 24th. Enjoy!".

You will naturally direct them to a dedicated web page.

Promo codes

Sending promo codes via SMS is a strategy that also works very well. It is an interesting alternative because it immediately makes it feel like a game. You engage the consumer who wants to participate.

Here is a classic example:

"Merry Christmas! Use code NOEL15 for a 15% discount".

Why not differentiate yourself here too by being more creative?

Here is a more original example:

"Santa is coming, Sophie, and he's feeling extra generous. Use code NOELMAGIQUE quickly to enjoy a great 15% discount and spoil your kids."

Invitations

You could also host a Christmas event. Perhaps a meet-and-greet with Santa? Or a book signing if you run a bookstore, or a fashion show if you’re in retail. Or simply an evening event or a cocktail hour to thank your customers for their loyalty.

You could send them a text like this for the occasion:

"Join us for a truly special Christmas evening this Saturday starting at 5 PM. Click here to sign up."

Reminders

Finally, you can also schedule reminder texts to make sure your audience doesn't forget about you. And to ensure they don't miss out on their dream gifts! Don't hesitate to create a sense of urgency to encourage them to take action.

Here is the type of message you could send:

"Last chance to take advantage of exclusive Christmas offers! It will be too late tomorrow. Click here to shop now."

Best practices

Personalize your texts

In the world of marketing, personalization is a formidably effective strategy. Personalizing each of your texts is essential for increasing engagement rates and conversions.

Where to start?

To begin with, you can use your customer's first name. If they see their name pop up on their phone, it will immediately grab their attention. It’s much warmer and will strengthen your connection. They will feel like you know them personally and will be more inclined to place an order with you.

Next, don't hesitate to offer sales based on their preferences and interests. To do this, use all the customer data at your disposal to create even more targeted messages.

Choose strategic timing for a successful campaign

Timing is super important, and Christmas is no exception!

You need to be able to choose the ideal moment to send your messages. And it’s true that it isn't always easy. It really depends on each of your contacts and their individual preferences.

Even so, your target audience will certainly take the time to compare everything carefully and study all the discounts available to them this Christmas.

During the day, they are busy juggling work and their various responsibilities, so they will likely be more available in the evening.

Try time slots like 5-7 PM, or during the lunch hour.

Finding the right time to send your SMS will allow you to maximize the impact of your messaging and your campaigns.

Be clear and concise

A text read on a phone must be concise, yet precise.

Get straight to the point. Be specific about what you are offering and include a direct link with a punchy call to action (something that makes them smile or creates a sense of surprise) to encourage quick action.

Examples of engaging and personalized messages

To increase engagement and orders during the holidays, you need to adopt targeted communication. Send content that is both punchy and personalized.

Here are a few examples of engaging SMS to send at Christmas:

• Play on the magic of Christmas and the surprises it holds: "[First Name], the magic of Christmas starts here! Discover our special offer."
• Offer free shipping and create a sense of urgency to trigger quick orders: "Delivery guaranteed before Christmas for all orders placed today. Hurry!"
• Use the element of surprise by offering gifts: "A surprise gift awaits you in our shop. Come and discover the magic of Christmas!"

Don't hesitate to add emojis; it will make your message even more friendly.

Measuring impact

To find out if your SMS campaign was a success, start by analyzing the open and click-through rates on your sending platform. And be sure to track conversions.

If you aren't getting many clicks, it’s likely because the content isn't punchy or personalized enough.

If, on the other hand, there are plenty of clicks but not many final conversions, make some adjustments.

Perhaps your discounts aren't competitive enough compared to the market. You might also want to rework the landing page you're directing traffic to. Make sure it’s inviting and features a festive, holiday-themed design. Finally, double-check that your visitors aren't running into any technical issues when trying to place an order.

Conclusion

There are many benefits to using an SMS strategy for the holidays:

• Grab attention and create a sense of surprise
• Boost your marketing reach
• Drive orders
• Increase cross-selling and upselling
• Build customer loyalty

Octopush supports your business, guiding you through the creation and launch of high-performing holiday campaigns that will drive sales.

Try it for free!